2015 Cote Rotie La Landonne

Opaque ruby. Heady aromas of candied dark berries, incense, olive and licorice are complemented by suggestions of candied violet and exotic spices. Supple, deeply flavored and lively as well, offering powerful blueberry, spicecake, salty olive and floral pastille flavors and a peppery nuance that builds with air. Finishes smooth, floral and extremely long, with lingering sweetness and subtle, slow-building tannins.

The 2015 Côte Rôtie La Landonne from Delas is a seamless, gorgeously balanced Côte Rôtie that reminds me of the 2011. Offering classic notes of smoked meats, currants, graphite, chocolate and roasted herbs, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, plenty of polished tannins, and perfect balance. It's surprisingly accessible, yet has beautiful density and depth of fruit. It's more approachable than most vintages, yet will evolve for just as long given its purity, harmony and balance. This cuvée comes all from the schist soils of the La Landonne lieu-dit, in the Côte Brune side of the appellation, was completely destemmed and spent 18 months in 40% new French oak. Delas Frères is located just outside of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols and has plenty of prime parcels spread throughout the entire northern Rhône Valley. The 2015s are the finest wines I’ve tasted from this estate since the 2010s, and if anything, the wines appear to be slightly more balanced and polished, with less obvious oak. The 2016s are less showy, yet have very classic, balanced profiles, and this is unquestionably another good vintage for this estate, which appears to be firing on all cylinders.

With only about 100 cases produced each year, finding a bottle of the 2015 Cote Rotie la Landonne will prove much harder than drinking it. It's indeed a terrific wine but a bit closed and cedary at this particular moment, the 40% new oak standing out on the nose. But this cuvée has a long track record of excellence, so expect it to blossom with time in the cellar. It's concentrated and powerful but amazingly light on its feet, with firm, ample tannins that manage to convey a sense of ripeness as well. Tar, black olive, cassis and espresso elements all speak to the grape (100% Syrah) and the single lieu-dit origin.